(Night Watch 1) (Night Watch Trilogy) - The Night Watch

I enjoyed the parallel structure of the world(s), the two bodies in balance. Anton was a less compelling character for me than other books. Olga and Gesar, and secondary characters, are more interesting in this story.

First off I loved the Russian setting and characters.
Such an interesting and honest look at another culture's superstition and fantasy. The characters are relatable, the battle is hopeless.
The book is worth reading.

Anton is the perfect character to reflect the internal battle between good and evil. While the fantastic Others are divided as light and dark, the leaders' logic and manipulation constantly challenge the reader's perspective and add mystery to what will happen next. Truly addicting

Night Watch is an interesting, if at times tiring, fantasy/sci-fi story. Or, rather, stories. It is divided into three distinct novellas which, as this necessarily interrupts the momentum of the plot, causes the book to feel like it starts to drag as it goes on. This is compounded by the unfortunate fact that the stories also happen to decrease in quality and interest as one proceeds. The first is excellent, with good pacing, characters and an exciting and exotic locale. The second is decent, but less exciting than the first, and the third finishes up as a rather tedious and plodding affair.

While I found more to like in Night Watch than not there were certainly problems. Many times what I liked so much in the beginning became the cause of dissatisfaction later. Characters are a good example. They start out fresh and interesting but as the book wears on one feels them beginning to become rather less sympathetic. By the end the main characters felt tired and many of their actions seemed very disconnected from what had come before or from any normal rational motivations which the reader could relate to. Often it was very foggy what they were trying to overcome or what they hoped to achieve. In this way I found the book becoming more distant and more of an effort to read, where it had started so naturally.

While Lukyanenko does an excellent job of creating an almost noir setting in this book, where those on the side of Light often use rather questionable tactics and those representing Dark can seem sympathetic, I fear that the author gets himself mired too deeply in this and winds up being hoist on his own petard. What starts as noir ends up needlessly philosophical and all too often confused. It is good that Lukyanenko avoided the comic book kind of good vs evil, but it would have been nice if I could have liked the good guys or understood just what they were trying to do. Towards the end the entire story finds itself being rather swallowed in a gigantic fog of dubious motives and questionable goals and in which nothing is clear at all. Who and what is entirely abandoned to questions of how and why so that nothing of either is any longer entirely discernible.

I usually don't read fantasy but the trailers for the movies got me interested in reading the books first. The book is divided into three stories: the first was interesting, the second started out well but ran out of steam, and by the third story my interest was waning. Each story had a M. Night Shyamalan-esque twist at the end that felt like a quick and lazy way to wrap up. The feature I enjoyed was the Taoist approach to the treatment of Good and Evil, and the balance between them.

I whipped thru this book really quickly, it was a fun read with a Russian backdrop that was really dark and interesting. The movie isn't too bad either....but given only one option, go with the book.

book came very very fast. perfect condition even though it was bought as used. couldn't be more happy. still getting into the book on page 82, pretty good so far and heard from a buddy it's supposed to take off pretty soon. all in all i'm very satisfied

Movie was vastly different. The look of the movie would have been more contemporary rather than the grungy feel the director took which threw me off at first; but I like how the author made it introspective and also a surface commentary on Russian society at the same time.

I was addicted to reading this book but I thought it was obvious that the translation was a bit clunky. I am sure this was a great book in the Russian original, not merely a good book. I would like to see a translation of his work that while less literal might convey more of his passion.

Started off strong but decided there wasn't enough to interest me in reading the rest of the series. I was looking for something fun to hold me over until the new Dresden Files. This didn't do it for me.

The story was interesting enough, but I felt like it was geared more toward Young Adults, which in todays literary market means under-educated adults. I imagine the story was written to appeal to fans of Harry Potter, which I honestly didn't know when I bought the book. If you like that sort of thing you'll probably like this. I'm the kind of reader that feels that there is no such thing as wasted time where reading is concerned and so I've never regretted Reading a book, although sometimes I wish I'd spent the money Buying a different book. That is definitely the case here.

What began as an interesting alternative world story, twisted into a deplorable, thinly veiled patriarchal world view. At first the jibes were slight, ugliness creeping in as the plot developed. Such diatribes as "all women are witches'' combined with a character assassination of witches being "naturally evil" culminated in a page long rape sanction. Using the voice of the most venerable witch in his story world, Sergei proceeds to dismiss childhood rape as inconsequential; that a victim will leave behind its unpleasant aspects as one would leave behind their toys. Not only is Sergei calloused to survivors of rape, add in that his female characters are cardboard props to support his male protagonist. No matter how talented or strong, the women take subsuming roles under their men or they are imprisoned or killed.
Sergei is the worst kind of propagandist, he has cleverly hidden his diseased perspective inside a story that seems to champion the underdog; but actually oppresses those who he pretends to protect.

This book was not well written, boring and scattered I couldn't finish it and I really tried it's more a collection of short stories than a novel and I would not recommend it to anyone. Don't waste your time with this one folks.

I am always on the lookout for intelligent fiction that bears the stamp of truth and conveys wisdom, regardless of the author's background or viewpoint.
I also admire classical Russian fiction and, having visited Russia many times, was aware that Russians produced some excellent science fiction and fantasy novels even during the period of Soviet decadence in the 1980s and 1990s.
I had stumbled upon the Russian-language NIGHT WATCH and DAY WATCH films (with English subtitles) on Netflix in the mid-2000s and enjoyed them, but didn't realize that they were based on books until nearly a decade later. So I decided to try one on Audible.com.
And I discovered that the NIGHt WATCH books were even better than the films.
The author of the NIGHT WATCH series, Sergei Lukyanenko, has been described as a humanist whose stories center on strong characters who strive to preserve their goodness while confronting a world pervaded by evil. The main character in the series, a Night Watch officer named Anton Gorodetsky, must negotiate the moral ambiguities of his job enforcing "The Treaty" between good "Others" and evil "Others" on the streets of modern-day Moscow. The novels are full of suspense, action, gritty settings, and clever dialogue rendered spicier by the fact that they are translated from the original Russian.
The series can also be described as Harry Potter or The Magicians for grown-ups, since it creates a richly imagined magical underworld and suspenseful plots arising from magic that goes out of control.
At a time when much popular American fantasy fiction can seem stale, commercial and derivative, the NIGHT WATCH series delivers the unexpected in highly original ways.

I don't normally read supernatural/vampire-type books. Most of them don't appeal to me, but THIS book is excellent. I'm glad I fell over it. This book passed over my desk at my job in a large library. It looked interesting, so I set it aside - then it sat for months before I finally read it.

The book is divided into three parts, all told from the point of view of Anton, a member of the Night Watch (the Light): Destiny; Among His Own Kind; All For His Own Kind. The three sections cover three different stories, but also link to each other. It's a gripping tale, and with the characters so well-developed from the start, you can really imagine what's going on in the story. -- I'm going to skip a summary of the plot, as numerous other reviewers have detailed it. I'll stick to my reactions and some background.

The short version is: PLACE: Moscow, Russia. TIME: Now. BACKGROUND: There are the forces of Dark and the forces of Light, made up of Others. They've been battling each other for thousands of years. The Others, who are born with Power (most often to normal human families), run the gamut: shape-shifters, healers, magicians and witches of all levels of Power, shamans, healers, sorcerers and sorceresses, werewolfs, vampires (who are totally on the Dark side; they've given up their lives and their souls), anything you can think of. Others cannot reproduce, they have to depend on more Others being born to human families.

It finally got to the point where the numbers of Others were down so far that they were in danger of extinction, because so many of the Others on both sides were being killed off by each other or by humans who were terrified of what they were. At this point, the Dark and Light signed a Treaty, which has been in force for a few hundred years (I think). The treaty is essentially an agreed-to cold war/mutually-assured destruction situation: both sides could destroy each other, but agree not to. The fighting stopped. Laws and regulations were written, ethics codes were established. The treaty calls for all kinds of restrictions: All Others are registered, no matter what side they're on, and carry I.D. Vampires are licensed to kill the humans they need to "live". Neither side can do magic and spells without the other side being permitted to do the same - this theoretically "balances" the good and evil. Intrinsic in this situation is the Twilight, a shadow-world that Others can enter by summoning their own shadow and entering through the shadow. It's a weird, dangerous place that some of them get trapped in permanently if they overdo it, and some Others are sent there permanently as punishment for particularly extreme crimes.

This treaty also formed the Day Watch (members of the Dark) and Night Watch (members of the Light). They're the police forces of each side. They eye each other uneasily, constantly trying to catch the other side in an unauthorized use of magic, so that the other side can demand an equal level of magic use whenever they want to use it. We're never told in this book if there are other Watch groups in other cities or countries.

At some time in their life, these born Others make a choice: Join the Light Watch or the Dark Watch ; keep out of the organizations entirely and restrict their uses of their Power; ignore their Power entirely. Some Others slip throught the cracks and aren't found for some time.

This is a very ambiguous world, and the book is an ongoing ethical discussion. It can be argued that the Dark is the more honest of the two sides: The Dark admits right out that they're out for themselves and don't care at all what the effects will be on the humans in Moscow. The Light, however, have a bad habit of justifying actions by "The ends justifies the means" reasoning, saying that "it's for the humans' own good" that they do nasty and vicious things to promote their point of view (a couple of which were failed experiments by the Night Watch/Light to remake the world, which were particularly vicious - and Evil). I couldn't decide whether there was an underlying political view to the book.

It really makes you think.

What made the experience of listening to Night Watch the most enjoyable?
As an American who has lived in both New York City and Los Angeles, it was the novelty of the setting, Moscow, Russia, that was most immediately enjoyable. The setting is almost a character of its own in this series.

Which scene was your favorite?
When the Light incubus who specializes in "romance" cannot lift the spirits of the young woman who has cursed herself over her own guilt, Anton is sent in to try to help her although he has no idea what he's going to do. The scene that follows between Svetlana and Anton is one of the best in the book.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
The Night Watch series doesn't go for emotional manipulation, instead it plants ideas and concepts in your head that will stay with you for a long time as you ponder them.

Any additional comments?
It is such pleasure to find a fantasy series of true quality. The only reason I rated the performance at three stars was that I felt it could have used more energy. The narrater is not monotonous by any means, but his voice is so smooth and gentle that he nearly put me to sleep while driving.

This is pulp fiction. Unfortunately, not pulp fiction at its best. The appeal of pulp fiction is a good story and believable characters. While the "world" created in the book is intriguing, the story, as fast-paced as it is, somehow...drags. Something seems to happen every 5 pages, and there are tons of twists and turns, but the prose is stilted and is just not good enough to carry the action. And at many points, the character development is given in blunt, inexpert short cuts...little factual tidbits put in merely to explain the action.

That being said, the innovation of the world is enough to get you more than halfway through the book. Its only when you reach this point that you start to wonder...good God, will this book ever end? You pretty much stop learning anything interesting around then...

I also have to wonder at the quality of the translation. I'm willing to bet my eye-teeth that the Russian is better than the English. Some of the prose is so sloppy...and I mean sloppy...that I bet a better translation would improve things significantly. But, its pulp fiction...what do you expect?

All in all, not the worst book I ever picked up. And given the number of books that don't hold my attention past page 100, I'd say you may give it a whirl if you're looking for a little light...if long...reading.

Night Watch is a well written and stimulating new entry into the genre of contemporary gothic horror. The novel follows the progress of agent Anton of the Night Watch in Moscow as he is gaining his first field experience after working a desk job for the Watch for several years. Anton is referred to as a Light Magician with some potential but little experience, and the Night Watch he works for is the mystical law-enforcement agency that oversees the actions of the dark magical beings; werewolves, vampires, and dark witches and sorcerers. As part of the Night Watch Anton interacts with a cast of interesting mystical characters, both light and dark with their own motivations and emotions as he tries to unravel the series of mysteries presented to him. These characters (both light and dark) grow on you over the course of the novel, where they may seem to be paper thin creations when you first encounter them they each deepen in the course of the novel and in the sequels.

The novel is broken into three novellas that happen sequentially. Each novella stands mostly on it's own, but does build on the events of the previous. In the first section, Anton must determine the cause of a curse hanging over a single woman that threatens all of Moscow and possibly the world. In the second Anton is framed for the murders of dark ones and must find the real culprit and clear his name. In the last, all the pieces scattered around the board are gathered together into an end-game, Anton is torn between duty and his own motives as he slowly sees the potential outcomes of his actions in the previous two stories. As he pieces everything together he has to determine what forces are at work and how his actions and his motives work into the final intrigue, whether he is a force for good, evil or if his motivations merely selfish.

The Watch Series focuses on the agencies of light and darkness (good and evil if you will, though the tags are not entirely appropriate for this series). The Night Watch are agents of light watching over the practitioners of the dark during their preferred hours. The Day Watch are agents of darkness watching over the practitioners of the light during their period of the day. Their goal is to make sure that neither side tips the scales of light and darkness in their own favor in their over-reaching struggle for the fate of the world.

The over-reaching fantasy mechanism is the existence of "The Twilight" is the magical realm parallel to our own which the "Others" have access to. Emotions and the spiritual essence of the world fuel the Twilight as light, or dark energies (happiness or grief respectively). An "Other's" ability to manipulate this emotional energy in the Twilight defines his or her ability as a light or dark magician. Various creatures of myth appear, mostly as denizens of the darkness, but one can imagine there are an equal number of light creatures waiting in the wings that just don't get any page-time.

The author, Sergei Lukyanenko is a Russian psychologist and writer, and the Watch series novels are his first works translated to English. Night Watch (the source is primarily just the first novella of the novel) has been made into a feature film, which is quite watchable (especially the subtitled version Night Watch). Even in translation the moods and feelings of the characters are very readable. I found the internal struggle of the Light agents easy to comprehend. Although there is a little too much exposition in the internal thoughts of Anton, I didn't find it bogging down the pace of the story.

The settings in Moscow are worth the price of entry alone. Lukyanenko builds are gritty and believable world out of modern day Moscow and it's inhabitants both of the real world and the Twilight world. Particular attention to Soviet era architecture and how it affects the mood of the story. Because the author clearly has strong feelings for the city and it's environment, the streets, apartment buildings, subways, clubs and restaurants all come alive to the reader without trying to enforce a point of view about how great or awful any particular thing is about the city.

Overall Lukyanenko writes with a calm sensibility for the horror genre, these novels don't reek of the leather jacket cool of Shadow-Punk pop-culture much similar modern-day horror is riddled with. These novels have qualities similar to William Gibson's work in his seminal Sprawl series. Both share a touch of Raymond Chandler's gritty and personal story-telling mixed with a fully realized fantasy world of their own genres without a touch of sentimentality. Lukyanenko also brings a post-communism Russian feel to the stories that remind me slightly of the Salman Rushdie novels, in which the fantasy is a window into a culture re-inventing itself after political upheaval. Lukyanenko mostly avoids destroying the magical illusion with overly scientific explanations of how it all works, thus keeping much of the magic alive (Writers note: The trick isn't fun when you know how it works. This is what ultimately bogged down the vampire series by Anne Rice. JK Rowling in the Potter series does this best in the contemporary set, just letting the magic be magic following in the footsteps of Tolkien and Lewis).

Lukyanenko paints in shades of gray over the motivations and actions for both the light and darkness as they wage their battles over the fate of Moscow and ostensibly the rest of the world. The light represents order and obligation and darkness representing freedom and individuality. Where these qualities taken to extremes, allegiance to good and evil fades away into the background and the stories illustrate those distinctions as being more similar than different.

I have read the second installment in the series and look forward to the English release of the third.

Day Watch

Twilight Watch

Night Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko 5 stars★ & favorite♥
(World of Watches: book 1 of 5)

1998 Russian Science Fiction/ Fantasy book translated to English. Anton Gorodetsky is a Light One Magician and a "Watchman" (supernatural's police) of the Night Watch. His first person point of view was good. There is a past tense tone but I felt that didn't take away the suspense. The story of good vs bad of the Others, and Anton worrying about Destiny and his love Svetlana Nazarova. And as all science fiction books have, this book deals with a lot of politics.

I've seen both the movies (Night and Day Watch). It's been a while so some of it I have forgotten. But what I did remember helped visualize what the "Twilight" (the inbetween world of supernatural and humans). I'll be watching the movies again soon when I've read the other 5 books.

This books was also added as my favorite and a recommendation.

Imagine a world where magic is real. A place where people known as Others are born with powers they don't understand. Their destinies are unwritten until that fateful day when they first become an Other - when they discover the strange, shadowy and powerful world known as the Twilight - and have to make a choice: will they stand with the Light or with the Dark. Will they dedicate their lives to Good or Evil?

It's not an easy decision to make, by any means. Joining either side has its limitations and its rules, for the battle between Good and Evil isn't what it used to be.

Long ago, it was simple - Good fought Evil, Dark fought Light, and blood was shed on both sides. It was a vicious, unending war that threatened to decimate the world. Finally, the two sides reached an agreement. A Treaty, well deserving of the capital letter. There would be a truce between the two sides, a balance that would be maintained at all costs. Any act of evil would be balanced by an act of goodness, and vice versa. Neither side is to have an advantage.

Making sure the peace is kept is the job of the Watches - the Night Watch, staffed by elites of the Light to guard against advances by the Dark, and a Day Watch, staffed by the elites of the Dark to guard against excesses of the Light. We begin our look at the Others of Moscow with a young adept named Anton Sergeeivich Gorodetsky, a wielder of magic and an analyst forced into the more exciting realm of field work. His job is to find out who a pair of vampires are illegally attempting to seduce and stop them. In the process of doing that, and saving the soul of a young Other named Egor, he stumbles upon something that threatens the entire city of Moscow, if not all of Russia. A young woman has a curse upon her head, so horrible and so powerful that the forces of the Light may have no chance to disperse it. If she dies, the city will die with her. If she lives, even worse may befall the world.

There are three stories in this book, somewhat independent but entirely connected. The first details the discovery of Egor and the cursed Svetlana. In the second, an Other of the Light, a maverick who doesn't know about the rest of the Others, or the Treaty between Light and Dark, is murdering Dark adepts. Somewhat alarmingly, Anton is being framed for the murders. In the third book, Moscow is gripped in a heat wave. In the midst of this, the leaders of the Light are attempting to change the world. Whether it ends up being for the better or the worse, no one can know. But Anton is convinced that it must not come to pass....

It's a gripping fantasy, in a very complex world. It's compared to Rowling's work, and justly so (although I don't think there's much of a case to be made for an attempt to ride on Rowling's coattails - Night Watch was originally published in 1998, only a year after the release of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone). There are substantial differences, of course, making Night Watch a much more adult book than the Potter series. There are very few children, and the few that are there are not in very substantial roles. There's far more drinking, smoking and sex in this, of course. But the world that Lukyanenko has created is every bit as deep and complex as the one Rowling has made. There are any number of roles that could be played, and an almost infinite number of situations that could be built on the fairly simple rules that are set up by the Light-Dark Treaty.

The biggest difference, of course, is in the complexity of the world. Rowling's world is fairly definitive in its divisions between good and evil - there is good, there is evil, and there is no question of which is which. The evil characters are definitively evil, and the good characters are definitively good, and the reader doesn't have to worry too much about who's on which side, Snape notwithstanding.

The Others of Moscow, however, are not nearly so clear-cut. Yes, the Light is trying to do the work of the Good, to make the world a better place. But their machinations and their plots don't always go as planned. See the Russian Revolution and World War II for examples why. They ignore the Law of Unintended Consequences and the horrors it can unleash. By trying to do Good, they unleash great evil upon the world.

And how about the Dark? Yes, they're populated by werewolves, witches and vampires, but they are advocates of utter and total freedom. They do not destroy for the sheer joy of destruction, but because they want to increase the personal freedom of the world. They're not interested in making humanity "better," or making a better world. They simply want to live in the world as it is, free from restraints - both internal and external.

While it may be pretty clear who is on the Light and Dark side, it's not entirely clear who is doing Good or Evil at any given time. And, more importantly, it is almost impossible to know who is actually right.

It's a great read - full of anguish and self-doubt and torture, like any good Russian novel should be. Anton knows that the Light doesn't live up to the standards that it preaches, but he knows that he needs to be on the right side. He picks apart the intricate, decades-long plot of the Night Watch and very nearly figures out how to foil it. But even in revealing the truth, he does not manage to save the world from the doom of the Light.

Or does he?

We'll have to read the next book and find out....

Night Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko 5 stars★ & favorite♥
(World of Watches: book 1 of 5)

1998 Russian Science Fiction/ Fantasy book translated to English. Anton Gorodetsky is a Light One Magician and a "Watchman" (supernatural's police) of the Night Watch. His first person point of view was good. There is a past tense tone but I felt that didn't take away the suspense. The story of good vs bad of the Others, and Anton worrying about Destiny and his love Svetlana Nazarova. And as all science fiction books have, this book deals with a lot of politics.

I've seen both the movies (Night and Day Watch). It's been a while so some of it I have forgotten. But what I did remember helped visualize what the "Twilight" (the inbetween world of supernatural and humans). I'll be watching the movies again soon when I've read the other 5 books.

This books was also added as my favorite and a recommendation.

Imagine a world where magic is real. A place where people known as Others are born with powers they don't understand. Their destinies are unwritten until that fateful day when they first become an Other - when they discover the strange, shadowy and powerful world known as the Twilight - and have to make a choice: will they stand with the Light or with the Dark. Will they dedicate their lives to Good or Evil?

It's not an easy decision to make, by any means. Joining either side has its limitations and its rules, for the battle between Good and Evil isn't what it used to be.

Long ago, it was simple - Good fought Evil, Dark fought Light, and blood was shed on both sides. It was a vicious, unending war that threatened to decimate the world. Finally, the two sides reached an agreement. A Treaty, well deserving of the capital letter. There would be a truce between the two sides, a balance that would be maintained at all costs. Any act of evil would be balanced by an act of goodness, and vice versa. Neither side is to have an advantage.

Making sure the peace is kept is the job of the Watches - the Night Watch, staffed by elites of the Light to guard against advances by the Dark, and a Day Watch, staffed by the elites of the Dark to guard against excesses of the Light. We begin our look at the Others of Moscow with a young adept named Anton Sergeeivich Gorodetsky, a wielder of magic and an analyst forced into the more exciting realm of field work. His job is to find out who a pair of vampires are illegally attempting to seduce and stop them. In the process of doing that, and saving the soul of a young Other named Egor, he stumbles upon something that threatens the entire city of Moscow, if not all of Russia. A young woman has a curse upon her head, so horrible and so powerful that the forces of the Light may have no chance to disperse it. If she dies, the city will die with her. If she lives, even worse may befall the world.

There are three stories in this book, somewhat independent but entirely connected. The first details the discovery of Egor and the cursed Svetlana. In the second, an Other of the Light, a maverick who doesn't know about the rest of the Others, or the Treaty between Light and Dark, is murdering Dark adepts. Somewhat alarmingly, Anton is being framed for the murders. In the third book, Moscow is gripped in a heat wave. In the midst of this, the leaders of the Light are attempting to change the world. Whether it ends up being for the better or the worse, no one can know. But Anton is convinced that it must not come to pass....

It's a gripping fantasy, in a very complex world. It's compared to Rowling's work, and justly so (although I don't think there's much of a case to be made for an attempt to ride on Rowling's coattails - Night Watch was originally published in 1998, only a year after the release of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone). There are substantial differences, of course, making Night Watch a much more adult book than the Potter series. There are very few children, and the few that are there are not in very substantial roles. There's far more drinking, smoking and sex in this, of course. But the world that Lukyanenko has created is every bit as deep and complex as the one Rowling has made. There are any number of roles that could be played, and an almost infinite number of situations that could be built on the fairly simple rules that are set up by the Light-Dark Treaty.

The biggest difference, of course, is in the complexity of the world. Rowling's world is fairly definitive in its divisions between good and evil - there is good, there is evil, and there is no question of which is which. The evil characters are definitively evil, and the good characters are definitively good, and the reader doesn't have to worry too much about who's on which side, Snape notwithstanding.

The Others of Moscow, however, are not nearly so clear-cut. Yes, the Light is trying to do the work of the Good, to make the world a better place. But their machinations and their plots don't always go as planned. See the Russian Revolution and World War II for examples why. They ignore the Law of Unintended Consequences and the horrors it can unleash. By trying to do Good, they unleash great evil upon the world.

And how about the Dark? Yes, they're populated by werewolves, witches and vampires, but they are advocates of utter and total freedom. They do not destroy for the sheer joy of destruction, but because they want to increase the personal freedom of the world. They're not interested in making humanity "better," or making a better world. They simply want to live in the world as it is, free from restraints - both internal and external.

While it may be pretty clear who is on the Light and Dark side, it's not entirely clear who is doing Good or Evil at any given time. And, more importantly, it is almost impossible to know who is actually right.

It's a great read - full of anguish and self-doubt and torture, like any good Russian novel should be. Anton knows that the Light doesn't live up to the standards that it preaches, but he knows that he needs to be on the right side. He picks apart the intricate, decades-long plot of the Night Watch and very nearly figures out how to foil it. But even in revealing the truth, he does not manage to save the world from the doom of the Light.

Or does he?

We'll have to read the next book and find out....

Having heard so many good things about Sergei Lukyanenko's Night Watch series last year, my curiosity was piqued in such a way that I couldn't not buy the first two volumes. And although my expectations were high for this book, I was truly impressed by The Night Watch. It's no wonder this urban fantasy trilogy made Lukyanenko the bestselling speculative fiction author in Russia. Hopefully reviews like these will help generate interest for this imaginative series.

Set in contemporary Moscow, The Night Watch introduces us to the eternal struggle between two factions of the Others, an ancient race of human beings possessing supernatural powers. All Others must swear allegiance to either the Dark or the Light. Agents of the Light -- the Night Watch -- and agents of the Dark -- the Day Watch -- oppose one another, yet they must maintain a precarious balance between Good and Evil due to the Treaty which is enforced by the mysterious Inquisition. When Anton, a seemingly unimportant member of the Night Watch, stumbles upon a cursed young woman named Svetlana on the train, events are set in motion that could have dire consequences. A battle between the Dark and the Light could lay waste to the entire world, unless Anton can find a way to prevent that catastrophe.

The simple fact that Russia and the former Soviet Union serve as a backdrop for this novel makes for a fascinating setting. It's different -- a veritable breath of fresh air in a genre that stagnates all too often.

The Night Watch is comprised of three different parts. Although they're related, the three parts read like distinct novellas, each with its own storylines. And yet, each part is a thread in a vaster tale.

Sergei Lukyanenko's writing style could be qualified as "minimalist." Nothing is overwritten, no words or sentences are wasted -- you won't find flowery prose in this book. The author's concise style makes for a brisk pace, and the novella-type format turns this novel into a real page-turner.

There is a good balance between first and third person narratives. The sections which showcase Anton are written in the first person, which allows the reader to appreciate how genuine and complex this character is. First person narratives can be tricky, but Lukyanenko does it well, and the transition between the various narratives is smooth throughout the novel.

Had I read this book last year as I intended, The Night Watch would certainly have ended up in my Top 10 of 2006. I can't wait to read both sequels, The Day Watch and The Twilight Watch.

Highly recommended. . . Sergei Lukyanenko is an author worth discovering!:-) And with the book out in paperback, anyone can afford it!

... but in all seriousness - this is an excellent tale that deserves deeper examination than the movie(s), while quite excellent and very well done, could provide about a universe set just behind the world we can see or touch.

Anton and his owl [Olga, who is rapidly allowed back her human form if not all her former powers] are an ideal combination of beginner and an experienced lady magician who has seen it all, done it all and decided that perhaps the position of "bosses lover" isn't too bad after all.

While this combination of beginner & experienced has been done, done and done again, it is executed here with an unusually deft hand brimming with humor, pathos and a certain empathy for the human condition often lacking in tales about guardians, watchers, magicians, etc. Not to say that in the end, we Humans aren't viewed as pawns at best and food at worst, just that this tale [and i expect the future volumes] takes no small part of it's gravity from the fact that Anton [and other Watchers] were most certainly human once and readily identify with the conflicts that there work illuminates as well as the troubles that young Others like sweet young swimmer Egor are faced with just by nature of who they are; never mind who they may become.

Obvious parallels to "growing up" could be made but that is somehow a bit shallow for the issues addressed in these pages... Anton would trade almost anything, some days, either to be plain old human again OR to spare young Egor the troubles that his future holds.

I haven't read the other five(?) books in the series but I look forward to raiding the library of local second hand bookstore for them since this tale has only just begun...

For fans of the movie; this initial volume covers the first film [same title]with a twist and begins to explore territory within the second film [Day Watch]. I am uncertain as to the fate of additional film projects, although is seems that a reference to a trilogy project was mentioned by the director - we can only hope.

I was expecting something truly amazing from all of the raving over this book when it was first brought to the US. And it was good. But I wasn’t amazed.

I think there were two main reasons I wasn’t overly thrilled:

The overarching theme was the blurred line between good and evil, and the fact that one can look very similar to the other, etc. This is not one of my favorite themes; in fact, it’s probably one of my least favorite, if only because it’s so overdone.
This is one I think is better suited for reading than for listening to. The reader of the audiobook was good, but I feel like I didn’t get the chance to absorb all of the monologued thoughts of the main character.
I don’t have too much more to say, to be honest. The characters were good, but they didn’t necessarily wow me. The writing was good, but nothing that really kept me riveted. And the theme as well demonstrated, but it was one I don’t care for. This is one I may reread at some point, as an actual book, but I think I’ll give it a while first.

~ Liza @ Classy Cat Books

I saw these two movies years ago and was thoroughly lost, and I thought it was because there was something lost in the translation, since it was in Russian.
I decided to take a chance on the book, and I'm glad I did. The book straightened out a lot of things for me, and I'm thinking that I want to watch the movie again.
Also, while reading these books, I had to really concentrate. The layers and layers of conspiracies, potential conspiracies, subplots, are intricately weaved throughout the book.
It also helps that the main character is likeable, I hope that everything works out for him, at least once.
I'm glad that I took a chance on the book, and I will continue with the series.

Anton, a member of the Night Watch, has been selected to try out field work by his boss. Anton and his other Night Watch members are Others, non-humans like werewolves and other shifters, magicians, vampires, etc. They patrol areas of Moscow and Russia to try to keep the balance between Light, which they represent, and Dark, which the Day Watch represents. In this episode, we follow along Anton's field work in three sort if inter-related cases.

Compelling and intriguing characters, both minor and major, fill the pages of the story and add to plot development. The narrative is complex, laced with humor, has multi-leveled mysteries for all three cases, and is fairly action packed.

Without giving away plot line, which I'm afraid of doing, I'll just say this:

Overall, an awesome read!

I borrowed this book from a friend after expressing interest in seeing the Night/Day Watch movies. Thankfully I read the book before my movie adaptations were delivered. I have read several reviews which talked about the book not being like the movie, but isn't that always the case. I think reading the book then watching the movie is always the way to go.
Starting this book with only a minmal knowledge of the plot was likely the best way as it lent some help to understanding the mechanics of the Watches. I found the book to be surprising in that it is a completely new take regarding the day-to-day working of vampires, werewolves, witches, and magicians. The stories are long enough to allow for intense character development, good tempo regarding the plot, and some excellent political intrigue. As I said the stories are short enough not to be too drawn out, but yet long enough you have more then enough time to become invested in the lives of the characters.
Overall a fantastic book!

After reading the entirety of the series to this point, in english (5 books), numerous times over the years... this series draws me back, and each time is impossible to simply put down.

The Night Watch series evolves out of itself, and builds upon itself at the same time. Each novel can stand apart, but as a whole becomes so much more. This is a Sci-Fi meets contemporary horror genre, riddle with aspects of mystery, political intrigue, economics and poetry. Though the main character is the epicenter of the novels, each main character is given ample attention and development. This is one of the few series where the reader begins to understand each character's story and self motivation, each character's voice, and they easily take on their own roles. One grows to expect what certain characters reactions will be as situations twist and turn quite unexpectedly, even sympathizing with antagonists throughout the series and their own motivations.

One can easily read through the novel with no problems... it's upon rereading them that many of the nuances start to become more apparent, how the two worlds of Night and Day truly fit together, and how they spar with each other as pawns to a game of chess... and all throughout, a main character that, though siding with the forces of light, walks a very fine line between the two powers and struggles within himself to continue that fight, yet amidst his cynicism never gives up hope. It's a struggle for balance most aim for but can nevet achieve, and that struggle is too easily relatable.

This is the beginning entry to a truly amazing series, one that will keep you on edge and eager to hear more.

An old favorite, I was brought here by the movie (which is recommended for its cool and inventive subtitles, although it is a mediochre movie otherwise). I have 4 books in this series, and I love the morally-gray world it describes, where Good and Evil, Light and Dark exist in a "purer" form, but must compromise. The setting in modern-day Russia is fascinating as well, written by a Russian, there's a lot going on that I don't totally catch, not having ever lived there. The holdovers from the Soviet period that are still so prevalent in this world provide and interesting insight. All in all, a great series of books, which I would recommend to anyone

3.5 stars audio version

The forces of Light and Dark have sworn a treaty, so they live at peace. Anton is a member of the Night Watch, the group of Others who've joined the Light's side and patrol the streets of Moscow at night to make sure that the Dark magicians are keeping their side of the bargain. During the daytime, the Day Watch does the same task for the Dark side. Meddling with the affairs of humans, for either good or ill, allows the other side to even the score so that Dark and Light are always kept in balance.

On one of his first street assignments, Anton tries to release a beautiful young woman named Svetlana from a dark curse hanging over her head. Later, he finds a couple of vampires who are trying to poach a young boy named Egor. Egor appears to have undiscovered powers of his own -- he must be an unknown Other who still has to make a decision about whether to follow the Light or the Dark. The fates of both Svetlana and Egor seem important to the Day Watch. As Anton and the Night Watch try to protect them from the Dark, Anton worries about their destinies, and his own.

The translation of The Night Watch from Russian is incredibly smooth, resulting in a pleasant reading experience. Modern Moscow makes a terrific setting for an urban fantasy novel and Anton is a likable hero. I read Audible Frontiers' version narrated by Paul Michael, who is perfect for the role of a tough but sensitive Muscovite (and who is now my second favorite audiobook reader).

While the writing, the setting, the characters, and most of the plot are quite enjoyable, there are a couple of related problems that kept The Night Watch from being the completely engrossing story that it had the potential to be. We get much of the story in first-person from Anton's point of view and, while this made me really understand and like his character, it also means that we spend a huge amount of time listening to Anton trying to figure out what's going on. He'll brood for a while, then have an epiphany and give us an explanation (not always logical or believable) that he's sure is right, but then suddenly he'll be wrong and some other strange (and just as illogical or unbelievable) explanation will be given, which may or may not be correct. I chuckled toward the end of the book when Anton says this to himself:

"I didn't know. As always, I didn't have enough information for analysis. I could have come up with thirty-three different explanations, all contradicting each other."

And I think he does come up with thirty-three different explanations, all contradicting each other. It gets really confusing and it interrupts the action but, worse, when we find out what's really going on, it's not nearly as exciting as it could have been. Most of the plot climaxes just fizzle when we find out the truth.

Related to this is the fact that I never quite believed in Sergei Lukyanenko's world. The whole idea of a truce between Light and Dark and all the strange rules and ramifications that result seem extremely unlikely. In his interior monologues, Anton goes on at length about light and dark, destiny and fate -- I'm not sure that it all made sense. I also didn't understand some of the choices Anton made, especially at the end. Perhaps this will be cleared up in the sequels, but it's annoying to not get the pay-off in this book.

But still, I enjoyed spending time in Moscow with Anton and his friends and enemies, even if I was confused about the plot. I just may pick up the next book, Day Watch. I mean, I'll download it from Audible. I am certain that Mr. Michael's narration made me enjoy The Night Watch more than I would have if I had read it in print.

It is a great story about light and dark forces. These aren't your typical witches and vampires. Some of them watch out for humans while others just continue about their lives. Really, the definition of light and dark only depends on whether they are concerned about the wellbeing of humans. Though, even the good guys have adverse results on the humans. There seems to be an underlying political commentary as well, though you only get hints of it from time to time.

The characters are very likable and relatable. They have normal feelings and struggles that you don't usually find in vampire and werewolf stories. It is most definitely worth the read.

I am a sucker for world building and mythology, and "Nightwatch" has a very fully realized world. The book is set in the modern era, in Russia, yes. But it deals with people who do not live in the same world we, the reader, do. It's a different world with different laws and regulations, different customs, different dangers. And it's a world that feels very intensely real.

The characters are broadly sketched but individual, and moral quandries are thick on the ground-- not obviously at first, but more and more so as the book progresses. What seems to be a black and white divide between "good" and "evil," between "light" and "dark," becomes more and more shaded grey as events unfold.

It's a book of explosions, frustration, desperate attempts at saving the world, and morality. It's well written and well translated, and I highly recomend it.

I stumbled across the series through the Russian film and was immediately hooked. I loved the differences in magic and worldbuilding. And, having the dark and the light fighting against each other in a unique way was fun too. Book one is just simply, a ton of fun. Highly recommended for any lover of Urban Fantasy.